Apparatus for casting steel ingots.



F. J. DROEGE.

APPARATUS FOR CASTING STEEL INGOTS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 24. 1-917.

1,299,148. Patented Apr. 1,1919.

5 F g.4 1 :mmmiifl 7 FREDERICK J. DROEGE, 0F COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

APPARATUS FOR CASTING STEEL INGOTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Application filed December 24. 1917. Serial No. 208,587.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. DRoEoE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Govington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentuc have invented certain, new and useful mprovements in Apparatus for Casting Steel Ingots, of which the following is a full, clear, and ex act description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification. f

In the ordinary and commercial method of casting steel ingots, upright cast iron molds are employed, arranged in a row and resting on a base plate or slab called the stool. The molten steel is then poured into the molds from the top. With this method, the steel cools first at the bottom and there is a tendency for the lower portion to draw away, as it were from the top portion of the ingot, piping of the metal is apt to occur and defects in the upper portion of the ingot are frequently the result. A considerable portion of each ingot has therefore to be cut off and returned to scrap for remelting.

It has also been customary to connect the molds by gates in the stool and to allow the metal to flow into the molds from the bottom.

This method of pouring from the bottom does not overcome the defects, because there is still too great a difference in the cooling of the ingot in view of its length. I have discovered, however, that by providing a fire clay bottom for the lower portion of the mold, utilizing from fifteen to twenty per cent. of the length of the mold for this purpose, I am able to pour the metal either from the top or bottom of the mold with equally good results and that with this method and the construction of molds to be hereinafter particularly pointed out and claimed, I am able to prevent piping and. that the percentage of loss in casting is reduced to a minimum.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved molding apparatus, showing one of the cast iron molds in dotted outline.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the base plate, with one of the molds in place.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the gates between the molds.

I have illustrated in the drawing three molds for casting three steel ingots; but of course it will be understood that as many molds arranged in series as may be desired may be employed.

The bottom plate or stool l, which is usually a cast iron plate, is formed with a series of central depressions 2, 2, connected by passages 3, 3, which I prefer to form alternately at opposite sides. To form the lower portion of the ingot molds, I line the bottom and sides of the depressions with fire clay brick 4:, or other suitable refractory material, and as illustrated in the drawing I employ from fifteen to twenty per cent. of the length of the mold for this purpose, leaving a passage into each mold near the bottom, and fire clay gates 5, 5, with a passage G therethrough to register with the opening into the molds, are placed in the bottom of the passages between the depressions. The fire clay lining of the depressions in the stool comes flush with the top surfaces of the. stool and forms the lower portions of the molds. Upon these fire clay portions are located the cast iron molds 7, 7. The lining of the refractory material is preferably about two inches thick and the cast iron molds are preferably about four inches thick so that the cast iron molds when located rest partly on the fire clay lining and partly on the stool as shown in Fig. 3. The gates 5 are then placed between the molds and the space above the gates is filled in with refractory material flush with the surface of the plate.

The metal is poured in the usual way into the top of the central mold, and the molten metal flows through the I gates or passageways 6, filling up the outer molds from the bottom and the middle mold from the top. All of the molds, however, have their lower portions located in their respective depressions in the stool of fire clay or refractory material. When the metal has been poured, and has cooled sufliciently though while still hot, a crane grabs the molds by gripping the handles 8, and they are then lifted ofi of the ingots, leaving the ingots upright in the fire clay lower portion. The jarring of the molds by striking them or rocking them slightly to separate the molds from the ingots usually jars the ingots sufficiently to fracture the web of metal connecting the in- I have discovered that the usual piping of the ingot is almost entirely obviatfid, .,and the ingots are solid and uniformthroughout theirentire length. The heat isretainedrhy the fire clay permitting the molten material to consolidate more effectively than results when the cast iron mold extends to the hottom of the mold.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus ofthe kind specified, the combination with a bed-plate, provided with a series of sockets to form apart of the mold and lined with fire clay .or other refractory material, of ingot molds vertically arranged and mounted on vsaid refractory material, the refractory basepon tion forming a substantial continuation of the ingotniolds of fifteen to twenty. per cent, of "the length of the mold, and gates connecting adjacent molds with each other near the bottom whereby a plurality of -molds may be'fille'd from a central mold.

2.1m an apparatus of the kind specified, the combination with a bed plate, provided with a series of sockets to .form a part of the comiec'ti-ng adjacerrtsoekets of ingot molds vertically arranged and mounted on said re- .-f-raetoryanatefial and supported by the bed plate, the refractory base portion forming a substantial continuation of the ingot-molds ffifteen to twenty per cent. of the length of "the mold, and gates in the passageways connecting adjacent :mQldsnea-r the 'h ZEQQI withleach ether whe eby a "plura ity molds maybefilled new cent al m i- ]lnan apparatus of thejfkm d fipfifllfifid, the combination with a plll teililty .Q'f 05 5i metal moldscpen at ihoth ends, with eatensions therefor "of .=-refracito y material form ng the "lower por ion and rbe'ttomaot the molds, with ,na sages fihetween adjacent molds sweetener one of thecastlnetal molds serving as a gate 'forlilli-ngthfl-atljoiningmolds. L. In an apparatus at the specifi d, the combination :With a bed ;.p1ate, provided with a series of depressi ns zli ed .tvi'th fire clay or othe re racto y: materia of "ingo molds wertically arrangediand mounted'len said 'el'fractory mate ,them ra l ry had portion for ninglaec nnation, 03f theiin ot molds,andgatescconnesit ngadjacent m if 8 near the batten 'th each" other wh reby plurality .off moldsmayihe fill d (from a vtentral-mold, witlrtr .si erse slots inltheheld plate foreseverin theingots. mrneath oth r befo removal from the "bled plate FREDERICK J J BQEGE- Copies ot'this patent may be obtained for five cents cech hy ,nflflrqsging-the {Qqgnanipsipnerv gttfgateigu,

'washingtonflkc. 

